January 2025
Happy New Year! With the old year behind us; it’s time for new resolutions; adventures; triumphs; and tribulations. I always get a little down during the holidays since a lot of my family is no longer with us. I typically get better as we get past December 21…as we get more and more daylight each day after. However, that has been tempered with two big winter storms in January; of which I am not really used to seeing. We usually get our snow and ice late in February so I hope we got this early this year…and we are given a break later in February.
As usual, the old adage regarding Southern Illinois weather takes its rightful place in our daily lives. We have a day or two of mild temperatures; followed by extreme cold and then a huge snow/ice storm; melting a day or two in the 40s’…then more snow/ice…and so on. What to do? Work on models. Patrol eBay; talk to friends; and paint Jenks Blue.
Work continues on the myriad of Locomotive projects as we move into 2025. A couple more GP15-1’s are on tap; along with two GP38-2s and maybe a regular GP38; using the Genesis Drive and fuel tank; along with Cannon & Company cab, sub-base, and short hood; along with custom steps designed by Brian Banna. This allows me to MU the three GP38 series engines together with ease; as they all have the same 14-1 gear ratio and motor/drive system. I will likewise use the same decoders in them and mirror their operating characteristics.
We hope to see the new GP15-1’s from Athearn in the spring; and that will keep us happy while we wait or the onslaught of winter weather we’ve experienced of late. I hope to likewise get a few more projects going. One of them is the Sedalia caboose with welded sides. The other will be a replacement cab and tender bunker for Crab Orchard and Egyptian #17 (2-8-0 Consolidation); both designed by Stewart Graham at Graham Scale Models. Stewart will also print these for me with his resin 3D printer.
See you in February. I hope that Groundhog Day bodes well for us.
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